The nation’s largest doctors group and an influential science panel today called on the Trump administration to halt its policy of separating migrant children from their families, saying it exacerbates emotional and physical stress and could create long-lasting health effects on children.
The American Medical Association became the latest medical professional group to weigh in on the family separation controversy. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association and American College of Physicians have urged the administration to back away from its "zero-tolerance" policy, citing long-term consequences.
"It is well known that childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences created by inhumane treatment often create negative health impacts that can last an individual’s entire lifespan," James Madara, the CEO of the physicians group, said in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "The AMA believes strongly that, in the absence of immediate physical or emotional threats to the child’s well-being, migrating children should not be separated from their parents or caregivers."
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, an elite advisory group, also condemned the policy today.
“Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child relationship and the family environment are at the foundation of children’s well-being and healthy development,” the group said in a statement. “We call upon the Department of Homeland Security to stop family separations immediately based on this evidence.”
The original story can be found here.
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